Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-01-05
RAILROAD DISASTERS.
TWO TERRIBLE RAILROAD ACCI-
DENTS YESTERDAY.
Passengers Slowly Cremated Alive
-Heartrendins Scenes-Tweu-
ty-four Lives Lost.
[BY TELEGRAPH TO THE REcoRD-UN1oN. I

on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, which
left New York about 8 o'clock yesterday for
Chicago, with five coaches and four sleep
ers, all well filed with passengers, collided
with an eastern-bound freight, seven miles
east of this city, about 2 o'clock this morn
ing. The fast train was about fifty minutes
late and was running at the rate of sixty
miles an hour. Passing Republic, a small
station, like flash, they rushed along to
curve one mile west Of town, where sud-
denly the engineer saw a freight train un-
der full headway within one hundred yards
of him. He at once applied the brake and
reversed his engine, but it did no good, the
next instant the crash came, telescoping
the coaches and pulling them upon each
other To add CONSERVATION to the horri-
BILE scene fire broke out in the smoking
car and soon spread to the other cars.
Many were killed outright, while others
were wedged in among the broken cars.
Slowly the cars were consumed by flames,
while the screams of the wounded and
dying were heartrending; but no assistance
could be given until farmer, awakened
by the crash, came and with other neigh
ing At this writing nineteen dead bodies
have been recovered, and they lie burned
and disfigured in the snow beside the track.
Help was sent from Republic and this city
as soon as the news was received. 1t is a
fearful sight, and recalls the Ashtabula
horror in the winter of 1877. The ther-
mometeI is three degrees below zero.
One of the passengers of the ill-fated
train saws the train was the Baltimore and
Ohio limited express, which left Washing
ton at 10 A. NJ. yesterday. At 2:15 in the
morning he was awakened by being thrown
violently from his berth. The train con-
sisted of an engine, baggage-car, one coach
and two sleepers. The train collided with
an east-bound freight, which had got
stalled one mile west OF Republic. The
two engines were utterly wrecked, and the
coach telescoped into the baggage-car so
completely that the two cars were conf
pletely crushed into the space of one. The
two sleepers' did not leave the track. The
telescoped cars caught fire from stove,
and the mangled and crushed passengers,
imprisonedin the shattered wreck, shrieked
in agony as the flames enyeloped them.
The uniniured passengers and the resi-
dents of the neighborhood set to work to
aid the wounded passengers in the burning
cars, rescuing all who could be reached.
The baggageman of the express was thrown
through the roof Of the car, escaping with
broken leg. The express messenger, who
was sitting beside him, was killed instantly.
No one in tie sleepers was injured in the
least Among the passengers in the
sleeper were Mrs. Fish. OF Joliet, Ill, sister
of General Logan. and her son Charles.
The shock was so terrific that the farm
ers in the neighborhood took it to be an
earthquake. In the confusion of the wreck
hot dispute arose among the train-men
as to the responsibility of the disaster. II
appeared the freight was running on the
time of the express. The engineer was
heard to remark that he had left the last
siding with only thirty pounds of steam,
and on the upgrade east OF Tltfin his en-
CINE went back on him and the train start
ed. No danger signals were sent out, and
the express running at full speed down
grade and around a curve had no warning
Of the impending disaster until an instant
before the collision.
The total number of passengers on the
wrecked train was sixty-fve. Ten dead
bodies were taken out ana thirteen are be-
lieved to be in the ruins The names of
the dead, so far as identified, are as follows ::
F. c. Barkey, Washington; VIM. Freder-
ick, Washington, fireman of the express !;
Jos. Osterman and two sons, of Martins
burg, w. Va; Mrs. Osterman and two other
children were saved. The smoker was en-
tirely consumed and all the passengers in
it killed All the mail and express matter
was destroyed. About a dozen wounded
have been taken to Republic, where they
are being cared for by the citizens
LATER.-It is now estimated that twenty
two persons were burned to death.
TRYING SCENES.
TIFFiS (O.), January 4th.-The collision
occurred one mile from the town and
nearly half mile from any dwelling, and
at , o'clock in the morning. II is related
OF one Bradley, a prominent Knight of
Labor from Washington, that, while the
flames were bursting from q car window,
which had been broken in the crash of the
COLLISION he by some means put out
his hand and threw his watch and pocket
book to those whom he could see on the
outside. He was pinioned on the inside,
and was being roasted alive, but those who
saw him were unable to render him the
least relief. They could hear the frenzied
and horror-stricken man as he madly en-
deavored to burst the barrier that held him
in his fiery prison.
The charTed remains OF the express mes
senger consisted simply of two thigh bones,
which were found in the debris of the car
The engineer and fireman of the freight
reversed their engine and jumped for the
snowbank. The engineer of the express
reversed his engine and sprang to the left.
The fireman endeavored to get out to the
right but being overcome with fright fell
close to his crushed engine and was badly
burned, but not beyond recognition. His
body has been placed in q neat oasket and
is now at an uRdertakers in Republic,
awaiting the arrival of his relatives.
There has been steady stream Of citi-
zens from all parts of the country going to
and returning from the wreck.
WHAT REPoByT-a SAW.
When your reporter reached the scene of
the holocaust, at o'clock to-day, the ruins
of the baggage car, express, smoker and
coach were still burning, and scores of
hands were endeavoTing 10 clear the track.
Here and there could be seen sheets of
blood and pieces of half burned and frozen
human flesh, and workmen were still find
ing portions of bodies in the burning
wreck
All the mail, express and baggage were
burned, including large sums Of money.
The scene at Chamberlain's establish
ment was one calculated to make the stout
est heart quail Nine shapeless trunkssof
human beings were stretched in row like
so many charred logs. There were Postle-
thwaite and his two sons side by side, and
seven others, none of whom could be
recognized, and near them was a mass of
flesh and bones that may have been parts
OF the bodies of different people
At the depot was found William f.
Smith, of Waynesborough, Pa. who was
passenger in the coach next to the sleepers.
He was sitting in the front part of the car,
and when the collision occurred he was
thrown violently against the front door,
but was not injured in the least. He said
he did not think there had been a collision.
but that the train had run off the track.
He helped the ladies in the car to gather
up their wraps, and said when he
went back to his seat TO get his hat
he noticed the smoker in flames, and saw
an immigrant Jump from the car through
the roof and wall Of flames. He said no
one in the coach was hurt seriously. After
getting out of the car be helped uncouple
the two sleepers and push them down the
track so they would not be burned. He
then picked up Postlethwsite's little girl,
who was wandering around in the snow.
and carried her to the depot at Republic.
w. S. Price, the baggagemaster, was
burned to crisp. His home is in Wheel
ing. There were nc doubt many more per-
ished in the wreck, as the number of per
sons who escaped and the remains recov-
or-J o>.,,ot